Child carrier accessory attachable to a shopping or luggage cart device

ABSTRACT

A child carriers accessory attachable to a shopping or luggage cart which does not significantly reduce the functionality of the cart.

This is a continuation of application No. 08/732,963 filed Oct. 30,1996; which is a continuation of application No. 08/250,550 filed May27, 1994, now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to child carriers attachable to a cart,and in particular, to a child carrier accessory attachable to anordinary shopping or luggage cart which does not significantly reducethe functionality of the cart.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shopping carts found in retail establishments generally include a childseat that is part of the rear panel of the shopping cart basket. A backsupport panel is attached to the rear panel, usually on the inside ofthe basket, thereby reducing the carrying capacity of the shopping cart.A fold down seat portion traverses the back support panel and the rearpanel to form the child set proximate the upper portion of the rearpanel. Generally, the child seat is arranged so that the child's legsextend through openings in the back panel. Airport luggage carts have asimilar child seat arrangement. However, luggage carts weigh less than ashopping cart and are therefore more prone to tip over.

The child seats on shopping or luggage carts only have room for onechild. Also, once a child reaches approximately 35 pounds, or is morethan approximately 54" tall, the child seat on these carts starts to betoo small and uncomfortable for the child. Additionally, children olderthan approximately 3 years find these seats confining and often attemptto climb out. Consequently, it is very common to see children riding inthe basket portion of the shopping cart or standing on the front edge ofthe lower frame while gripping onto the basket portion, or standing onthe luggage portion of a luggage cart.

Allowing a child to ride in the basket portion of the shopping cart hasproven to be extremely dangerous. The U.S. Consumer Product SafetyCommission reported 12,000 hospital emergency room head injuries in 1988along, to children under 5 years of age primarily due to childrenfalling from shopping carts. Approximately one third of these headinjuries were concussions, fractures or internal injuries. (See ConsumerProduct Safety Alert from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,March 1990, which is hereby incorporated by reference.) In 1992, theU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 22,920 childrenwere treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related toshopping carts.

While old style shopping carts were constructed of metal, newer cartsare utilizing more plastic parts, including plastic basket portions.Consequently, the center of gravity of newer shopping carts is muchlower than the old style metal carts. Since the child seat is generallyon the upper portion of the rear panel of the basket portion, a largerchild will significantly alter the center of gravity of the cart,especially when the cart is empty. The reported accidents also includeinjuries resulting from children tipping over the cart by rocking backand forth.

There are presently millions of conventional shopping and luggage cartsin use. A shopping cart costs anywhere from $70.00 to $120.00. Aneconomically viable solution to child injuries needs to utilize theexisting inventory of carts, without significantly reducing the overallfunctionality of the carts. For example, the solution can notdramatically change the dimensions of the cart. One approach is toprovide a safety strap to retain the child in the cart seat. However,this approach does not address larger children who do not fit properlyinto the cart seat or parents that have more than one small child.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,250 issued to Dykes and U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,840issued to Keller disclose motorized attachments for shopping carts.However, the motorized units are intended for disabled individuals, notchildren. Additionally, the motorized units would be cost prohibitivefor a broad base solution to the wide spread problem of child injuriesrelating to shopping carts. Additionally, both of the above patentsdisclose an articulated or pivotal joint between the carrier and theshopping cart which requires the passenger to steer the cart, a designtotally impractical for a child passenger.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,044,801 issued to Vicany discloses an occupant propelledshopping cart. However, the occupant portion is integrally formed withthe cart and does not present a viable option for use with the millionsof shopping carts in existence.

Therefore, a child carrier accessory is needed for use with existingshopping and airport luggage carts that will allow more than one child,or larger children, to be carried safely without reducing the overallfunctionality of the cart.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a child carrier accessory attachable toa conventional shopping or luggage cart which does not significantlyreduce the overall functionality of the cart.

The child carrier includes a platform supported by at least one swivelcaster wheel, a seat area and a restraining device for holding the childto the seat. The carrier is rigidly attached to the rear portion of acart so that the combined structure of the cart and the child carrierpivot as a single structure on the rear wheels of the cart. Thepreferred child carrier is constructed using a rotational moldingprocess.

Attaching the child carrier accessory to a cart shifts the center ofgravity of the cart downward and toward the rear of the cart.Additionally, the seat area on the child carrier is preferably closerthe ground than the child seat provided on these carts. Consequently,when a child is riding on the child carrier, the combined unit has alower center of gravity than when a child is riding in the seat on acart.

In an alternate embodiment, the child carrier accessory may be attachedto the rear of a cart in a cantilever fashion without the use of aswivel caster wheel to support the platform. This embodiment requiressufficient counterweight to insure stability of the cart.

Conventional shopping or luggage carts generally include only a singlechild seat near the handle. This seat is only suitable for smallerchildren under approximately 30 pounds or 54 inches in heights.Consequently, parents with more than one child are tempted to allow theolder child to ride in the basket portion of the cart or on the luggagerack.

The present invention provides for carrying three children safely in thecombined cart and child carrier accessory, while providing enhancedperformance of the cart itself. The claimed child carrier accessory hasthe additional advantage of separating the child from the merchandise orluggage in the cart and providing additional carrying capacity.

The child carrier includes a handle for maneuvering the combinationshopping or luggage cart and child carrier. Since the handle on thechild carrier extends behind the cart, the operator has additionalleverage for maneuvering the combination cart and child carrier. Whenthe cart is weighed down with merchandise or luggage, it is more easilymaneuvered from the child carrier handle then from the handle on thecart.

A center divider may be included in the seat area to provide separateseats for two children. Side supports are preferably located on eitherside of the seat area to provide additional lateral support forrestraining the child in the carrier.

A universal mounting bracket is provided with a variety of slottedmounted holes which allow the child carrier to be attached to anystandard shopping or airport luggage cart. The mounting bracketpreferably includes a reversible connector member bracket for connectingthe child carrier to the cart. The reversible connector member bracketmay be turned upside down to compensate for variation in the height ofthe cart frame relative the ground.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view of the preferred child carrier accessoryattached to an exemplary shopping cart as viewed from the front of thechild carrier;

FIG. 2 is as perspective view of the preferred child carrier accessoryattached to an exemplary shopping cart as viewed from the rear of thechild carrier;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred mounting bracket forconnecting the child carrier accessory to a shopping cart;

FIG. 4 is bottom plan view of the child carrier accessory;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the preferred mounting bracket for connectingthe child carrier accessory to a cart;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the child carrier accessory;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the child carrier accessory; and

FIG. 8 is perspective view of the preferred child carrier accessoryattached to an exemplary luggage cart as viewed from the front of thechild carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a perspective view of the preferred child carrieraccessory 10 attached to an exemplary shopping cart 12. The childcarrier accessory 10 has a platform 14 preferably supported by a pair ofpreferably swivel caster wheels 16, 18 (See FIG. 2), although it will beunderstood that other wheel structures are possible. A carrier body 20located on the platform 14 contains a seat portion 22 with a centerdivider 24 to form left and right seat areas 26,28, respectively. (Seealso FIGS. 6 and 7). Curved back supports 30,32 having side supportportions 34,36 are preferably integrally formed in the carrier body 20.A carrier handle 38 is provided on a back side 40 of the carrier body 20for pushing the combination child carrier accessory 10 and shopping cart12. The carrier handle 38 is preferably located at a comfortable heightfor pushing (i.e., approximately 38 inches above the ground).

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the preferred child carrier accessory 10attached to an exemplary luggage cart 110 as viewed from the front ofthe child carrier 10. The cart 110 has a carrying location 112 forcarrying luggage (not shown). The cart 110 has a child seat 60' near acart handle 68' sufficient to carry one child. However, the luggage cart110 tends to be lightweight so that it is extremely top-heavy if a childis placed in the seat 60' and the cart 110 is not loaded down withluggage.

The carrier 10 is attached to the cart 110 using connector bars 70 anduniversal mounting bracket 72. The platform 14, mounting system 70, 72,and swivel caster wheels 16 (18 not shown) are all located below thechild seat 60'. Since these components constitute a fair portion of theweight of the carrier 10, the combined carrier 10 and cart 110 has alower center of gravity than the cart 110 alone.

The center divider 24 and curved back supports 30 allow for twoadditional children to be carried in the child care accessory 10 usingrestraining mechanism 74. It will be understood that the remainder ofthe discussion is equally applicable to either a shopping cart or aluggage cart and that the present invention is not limited by thespecific design of the shopping or luggage carts 12, 110.

In an alternate embodiment, the child care accessory 10 may be attachedto a cart in a cantilever fashion, without being supported by wheels.However, it will be understood that this embodiment requires a cart thatcan adequately counterbalance the weight of the carrier 10 and a child.Alternatively, a counter weight may be attached to the front portion ofthe cart.

In the preferred embodiment, the child carrier accessory 10 isconstructed using a rotational molding process. It will be understoodthat the child carrier may also be constructed by blow molding, thermalforming, vacuum forming or injection molding. The one-piece plasticchild carrier of the preferred embodiment has been tested to holddynamic weight to 650 lbs. Additionally, the preferred plasticconstruction is light weight (less than 40 lbs.) and cost effective tomanufacture. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat a variety of manufacturing techniques are available for achievingthe same result. In particular, the child carrier accessory may comprisea number of discrete parts which are assembled. Additionally, the childcarrier accessory 10 may be made from a variety of materials includingmetal, wood, composites, and plastics.

The shopping cart 12 generally comprises a base frame 50 supported by apair of front swivel caster wheels 52 and a pair of rear caster wheels54. A carrying location defined by a basket portion 56 generally sits ontop of the base frame 50. The basket portion 56 may be either metal orplastic.

The basket portion 56 generally has a rear panel 58 which includes achild seat 60. In conventional shopping carts, the rear panel 58includes a folding back support 62 hinged to the rear panel 58 and afold down seat portion 64. The rear panel 58 also includes a pair of legopenings 66 which allow the child to sit facing the rear of the cart 12proximate a cart handle 68.

The seat portion 22 of the child carrier accessory 10 preferably has arestraining mechanism 74 for securing each child to the child carrieraccessory 10. The preferred restraining mechanism 74 includes a waiststrap 76 and a shoulder strap 78. Although not recommended by themanufacturer, the child can alternatively stand on the platform 14 whileriding in the child carrier 10. A child standing on the platform cangrip the cart handle 68 in front and is supported by the carrier body 20from the rear. Because the platform 14 is relatively low to the ground,the child can get off and on the child carrier accessory 10 with minimalrisk of injury. While not the ideal arrangement, experienced parentswill recognize the advantage of this arrangement over attempting torestrain a child against his or her will.

When the carts 12, 110 are empty, placing a child in the child seat 60,60' significantly raises the center of gravity of the carts 12, 110.Since it is not uncommon for parents to place a child weighing 30 poundsor more in the child seat 60, 60', the risk of tipping over the cart 12,100 is substantial. The seat portion 22 of the child carrier accessory10 is preferably closer to the ground than the child seat 60, 60' in thecarts 12, 110. Consequently, the combination child carrier accessory 10and cart 12, 110 has a lower center of gravity than the carts along.

When the carts 12, 100 is full of merchandise or luggage, they aredifficult to maneuver because of the limited leverage provided by thecart handle 68, 68'. In particular, a loaded down cart has a high momentof inertia which is difficult to overcome from the cart handles 68, 68'.

The combination child carrier accessory 10 and cart 12, 110 has a centerof gravity close to the rear wheels of the carts 12, 110. The combinedunit tends to pivot on the rear wheels, making it easy to maneuver evenin close quarters. Also, since the carrier handle 38 on the childcarrier accessory 10 is located behind the cart handle 68, 68' by adistance "d", the user has greater leverage for maneuvering thecombination cart 12, 110 and child carrier accessory 10. The distance"d" is approximately 20 inches in the preferred embodiment.

The child carrier accessory 10 is preferably attached to the rear of thebase frame 50 by a pair of connector bars 70. Utilizing two connectorbars 70 provides lateral support for maneuvering the combined unit.However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that avariety of connector members are suitable for this purpose. For example,the connection may be made by a single bar or a plate member. Auniversal mounting bracket 72, as will be discussed below, allows thechild carrier accessory 10 to be attached to any size shopping orluggage cart.

FIGS. 3-7 illustrate the universal mounting bracket 72 engaged with theconnector bars 70 of the child carrier accessory 10. A pair of uppermounting plates 80 are attached to the base frame 50 of the shoppingcart 12 by a U-shaped clamp 82 (See FIG. 5) through slotted mountingplate holes 84 (See FIG. 4) using nuts 86. Washer plates 81 mayoptionally be included between the nuts 86 and the upper mounting plates80. The slotted mounting plate holes 84 permit the U-shaped clamp 82 tobe adjusted lateral to compensate for differences in the various baseframes 50 in use. While the preferred embodiment illustrates a pair ofupper mounting plates 80, it will be understood that an equivalentresult may be accomplished with a single plate and a variety of othermeans.

A U-shaped connector bar bracket 88 is attached to the upper mountingplates 80 at a plurality of connector bar bracket slots 90 (See alsoFIGS. 5 and 6). The connector bar bracket slots 90 similarly permitlateral adjustment of the location of the connector bar bracket 88relative to the base frame 50. The connector bar bracket 88 ispreferably symmetrical so that it can be turned upside down and attachedto the tops of the upper mounting plates 80. In doing so, the universalmounting bracket 72 can accommodate shopping carts with a base framethat is low to the ground, while maintaining the connector bars 70 in ahorizontal configuration.

The connector bars 70 are attached to height adjustment slot 92 on sideportions 94 of the connector bar bracket 88 by bolts 96 and nuts 98.(See FIG. 5). The height adjustment slots 92 also contribute to allowingthe connector bars 70 to be maintained in a horizontal position whenconnected to a variety of shopping carts with base frames of differentheights. Alternatively, the connector bar bracket 88 may be inverted 180degrees and attached to the tops of the upper mounting plates 80 so thatthe height adjustment slots 92 are above the upper mounting plates 80.This alternate configuration allows for attaching the connector bars 70horizontally to the base frame 50 of a shopping cart that rides low tothe ground. The connector bars 70 preferably have a plurality ofpositioning holes 100 which permit adjustment of the distance betweenthe platform 14 of the child carrier accessory 10 and the rear of theshopping cart 12. In the preferred embodiment, the child carrieraccessory 10 adds only 20 inches to the overall length of the shoppingcart 12.

The various mounting slots 84, 90, 92 on the universal mounting bracket72 and positioning holes 100 on the connector bars 70 allow forsignificant variations in the height and other dimensions of the baseframe 50 while attaching the child carrier accessory 10 in the optimumconfiguration. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that avariety of mounting brackets are possible for attaching the childcarrier accessory to a shopping cart. The configuration illustrated inFIGS. 3-7 is set forth by way of example only and in no way limits thescope of the invention.

FIG. 4 is bottom plan view of the child carrier accessory 10illustrating the location of the swivel caster wheels 16, 18 relative tothe connector bars 70. In the preferred embodiment, the distance "w"between the wheels 16, 18 is slightly less than the distance between therear wheels 54 of the shopping cart 12. This spacing enhances thepivoting of the combined unit 10, 12 on the rear wheels 54. However, itwill be understood that in some circumstances, the distance "w" betweenthe wheels 16, 18 may be greater than the distance between the wheels 54on the shopping cart 12.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the universal mounting bracket 72 forconnecting the child carrier accessory 10 to a shopping cart 12. Whilethe clamp 82 for engaging the base frame 50 is generally U-shaped, itwill be understood that it can be any shape necessary to engage with thebase frame 50 of the shopping cart 12. Likewise, while the connectorbars 70 are square, it will be understood that they can be for example,round, rectangular or any other suitable shape.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a top and front plan view, respectively, of thechild carrier accessory 10. While FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrates the carrierbody 20 having a center divider 24, it will be understood that thecenter divider 24 may be removed without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

It will be understood that these exemplary embodiments in no way limitthe scope of the invention. Other modifications of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoingdescription. These descriptions are intended to provide specificexamples of embodiments which clearly disclose the present invention.Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the described embodimentsor to the use of specific elements, dimensions, materials orconfigurations contained therein. All alternative modifications andvariations of the present invention which fall within the spirit andbroad scope of the appended claims are covered.

We claim:
 1. A child carrier accessory for attachment to a cart, thecart having a base frame supported by at least one rear wheel, the baseframe supporting a carrying location thereon, the child carrieraccessory comprising:a child carrier portion comprising a platformsupported by at least one platform wheel, at least one seat areapositioned above the platform, and a carrier handle; and a connectorattached to the child carrier portion and positioned for releasableconnection to the cart so as to form a rigidly connected state betweenthe child carrier portion and the cart, the cart and the child carrierportion being steerable by the carrier handle and pivotable at alocation along an axis of rotation of the at least one rear wheel whenin the rigidly connected state, whereby the child carrier portion willmaintain a fixed distance from the cart to define a space therebetweenand the platform will be positioned to permit a child to get on and offthe child carrier accessory when in the rigidly connected state.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one platform wheel comprises aswivel caster wheel.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carryinglocation has a child seat located generally above the at least one rearwheel, the at least one seat area of the child carrier accessorycomprising a location closer to the ground than the child seat of thecart when in the rigidly connected stated.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the child carrier accessory and the cart have a lower center ofgravity in the rigidly connected state than the cart alone.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the connector comprises connector means forrigidly connecting the child carrier accessory to the base frame.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the platform, the seat and the handle areconstructed as a unitary structure.
 7. The child carrier accessory ofclaim 1 wherein the platform extends forward of the seat area.
 8. Achild carrier accessory for attachment to a cart, the cart having a baseframe supported by at least one rear wheel, the base frame supporting acarrying location thereon, the child carrier accessory comprising:aplatform support by at least one platform wheel; at least one seat areasupported by the platform; a carrier handle; and connector means forreleasably attaching to the child carrier portion to the cart in arigidly connected state, the cart and the child carrier portion beingsteerable by the carrier handle and pivotable at a location along anaxis of rotation of the at least one rear wheel when in the rigidlyconnected state, whereby the child carrier portion will maintain a fixeddistance from the cart to define a space therebetween and the platformwill be positioned to permit a child to get on and off the child carrieraccessory when in the rigidly connected state.
 9. A child carrieraccessory for attachment to a cart, the cart having a base framesupported by two rear wheels, the base frame supporting a carryinglocation thereon, the child carrier accessory comprising:a child carrierportion comprising a platform supported by at least one platform wheelat least one seat area positioned above the platform, and a carrierhandle; and a connector releasably attachable to the child carrierportion and the cart to form a rigidly connected state between the childcarrier portion and the cart so that the cart and the child carrierportion are steerable by the carrier handle and pivotable at a locationalong an axis of rotation of the two rear wheels when in the rigidlyconnected state, whereby the connector maintains the child carrierportion a fixed distance from the cart to define a space therebetweenwhen in the rigidly connected state.
 10. A child carrier accessory forattachment to a cart, the cart having a base frame supported by two rearwheels, the base frame supporting a carrying location thereon, the childcarrier accessory comprising:a child carrier portion comprising aplatform supported by at least one platform wheel, and at least one seatarea positioned above the platform; and a connector releasablyattachable to the child carrier portion and the cart to form a rigidlyconnected state between the child carrier portion and the cart so thatthe cart and the child carrier portion are steerable and pivotable at alocation along an axis of rotation of the two rear wheels when in therigidly connected state, whereby the connector maintains the childcarrier portion a fixed distance from the cart to define a spacetherebetween when in the rigidly connected state.
 11. A child carrieraccessory for attachment to a cart, the cart having a base framesupported by at least one rear wheel, the base frame supporting acarrying location thereon, the child carrier accessory comprising:aplatform support by at least one platform wheel; at least one seat areasupported by the platform; and connector means for releasably attachingto the child carrier portion to the cart in a rigidly connected state,the cart and the child carrier portion being steerable and pivotable ata location along an axis of rotation of the at least one rear wheel whenin the rigidly connected state, whereby the child carrier portion willmaintain a fixed distance from the cart to define a space therebetweenand the platform will be positioned to permit a child to get on and offthe child carrier accessory when in the rigidly connected state.